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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rash — a series
  14. face — to confront
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. row — a line
  18. club — a group
  19. pit — in a race
  20. row — to paddle
  21. staff — employees
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pit — a hole
  24. club — for golf

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