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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — a position
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. fall — the season
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — in cards
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — letters
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. leaves — to go away

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