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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.

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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — the fruit
  18. foot — a measure

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