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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 · wave · leaves · stick · spring · rest · rule · stand

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spring — of water
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rule — a law
  22. rest — a break
  23. rule — government
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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