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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — employees
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ball — a dance
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a round shape

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