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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a dance
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. ball — a great time
  16. snap — to click
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — to breed
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. root — the cause

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