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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. land — a country
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — ground
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. snap — to click
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. roll — a list
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. land — to come down
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. roll — a cake

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