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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: mine · cap · bear · rule · leaves · rest · kick · rash

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rule — a law
  7. cap — of ice
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rest — a break
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cap — a lid

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