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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pit — a hole
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. season — of the year
  24. chair — a leader

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