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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — the season
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — the cause
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — all right
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lean — to bend

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