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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — a hat
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. field — a subject
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. field — farmland
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fall — the season

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