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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 116 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: cabinet · leaves · saw · object · squash · last · rule · lean

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. last — final
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rule — a law
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. squash — the sport
  19. last — finally
  20. object — a thing
  21. last — to go on
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. rule — government

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