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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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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. mark — a trace
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. hand — help
  16. track — a song
  17. mark — a grade
  18. track — a path
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. safe — out of danger

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