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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. firm — steady
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — a company
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. clip — a video
  16. bat — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. firm — decided
  20. clip — for paper
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. clip — to cut
  24. jam — a tight spot

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