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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kick — in football
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fall — the season
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kick — with a leg

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