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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cap — of ice
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. band — a music group
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. last — final
  10. cap — a lid
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — to protest
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. band — a ring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. last — to go on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. object — an aim
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pass — a permit
  24. object — a thing

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