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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cap — a lid
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. cap — of ice

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