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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — obliged
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bear — the animal

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