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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cell — in biology
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of a king
  5. cell — a phone
  6. court — of law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. court — for sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. date — the fruit
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. saw — the tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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