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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spring — the season
  3. swing — to play on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spring — a coil
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — employees
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — music
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — a sauce

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