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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. roll — a cake
  4. suit — in cards
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. present — there
  7. last — finally
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. last — final
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bass — low music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bass — the fish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. roll — a list
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. last — to go on
  24. suit — clothes

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