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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rule — government
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ground — a position

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