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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. net — after costs
  16. kick — in football
  17. net — in sport
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mark — a trace
  23. net — for catching
  24. perch — for a bird

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