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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · stick · snap · leaves · rule · toast · mate · shower

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. toast — bread
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — a law
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mate — a partner
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — to breed
  12. shower — to wash
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rule — government
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — a friend
  20. shower — rain
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. leaves — of a tree

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