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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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hand — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a great time
  5. field — a subject
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hand — help
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — farmland
  16. kick — in football
  17. staff — employees
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. staff — a stick
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. field — for sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ball — a dance

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