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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. staff — a stick
  3. last — to go on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. present — there
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — final
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. present — a gift
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. last — finally
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. present — the time now

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