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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. drill — army training
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. court — for sport
  11. sharp — clever
  12. court — of a king
  13. drill — a practice
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. court — of law
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lie — to recline
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. leaves — lets stay

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