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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spell — magic
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spell — letters
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bat — the animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. spell — a short time
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — a permit
  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