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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — government
  5. lie — to recline
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — clever
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tube — the underground
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. tube — a container
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — exactly

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