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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. net — after costs
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — for catching
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — in cards
  24. leaves — to go away

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