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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — ground
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tube — a container
  24. land — a country

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