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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rule — government
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ball — a great time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a ring
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a music group
  21. current — happening now
  22. rule — a law
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — an injury

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