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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: leaves · pitch · suit · nail · rash · last · rule · spring

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — a series
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. last — finally
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spring — of water
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. suit — to fit
  17. last — to go on
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. nail — on a finger

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