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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. club — for dancing
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — a law
  13. club — for golf
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — ground
  18. rule — government
  19. land — a country
  20. club — a group
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com