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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a great time
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. last — final
  16. stand — to bear
  17. last — finally
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chip — for betting
  20. last — to go on
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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