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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. drill — a practice
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rule — a law
  6. drill — army training
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pass — a permit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. game — a match
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — bread
  20. saw — the tool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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