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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cell — in biology
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cell — a phone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rock — music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mug — to rob

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