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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fall — to drop
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. suit — to fit
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kid — to tease
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to tire
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rock — music

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