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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chair — a leader
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ground — a position
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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