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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. object — to protest
  3. present — there
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — for digging
  9. object — an aim
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. present — the time now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. sharp — clever

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