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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. present — the time now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — there
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. toast — bread
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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