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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — letters
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rest — a break
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. march — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spell — a short time
  15. march — the month
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — lets stay

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