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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — in sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. track — a song
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a path
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — of the year
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. track — to keep track
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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