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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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468
Word bank
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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tear — to rip
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cell — a phone

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