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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. chest — of your body
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chest — a box
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. root — of a word
  24. stand — to bear

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