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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mate — to breed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spell — letters
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fall — the season
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rock — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mate — a friend

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