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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. last — to go on
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mug — a cup
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. mug — a face
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stem — to come from
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — a lid

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