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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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Word bank
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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: wake · jam · season · rule · shower · safe · leaves · staff

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rule — government
  3. wake — a trail
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. staff — a stick
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — a law
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. season — in sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. staff — employees
  24. safe — a strongbox

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