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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rule — government
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a tool
  16. rule — a law
  17. kick — in football
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a document
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. kick — with a leg

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