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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lean — thin
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. leaves — of a tree

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