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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. present — the time now
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. march — the month
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lean — thin
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — there
  16. staff — a stick
  17. present — a gift
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — to point toward
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. foot — the bottom

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