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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. swing — in golf
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. race — humankind
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. race — the arms race
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — for digging

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