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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — finally
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. last — final
  10. bear — the animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. craft — a skill
  13. last — to go on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. craft — boats
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bat — in an idiom

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