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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 124 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. toast — bread
  5. rule — a law
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rule — government
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fan — a supporter

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