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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. present — a gift
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — there
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fork — in a road
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bark — of a tree

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