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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cap — a hat
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rule — a law
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — boats
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rule — to rule out

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