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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rule — a law
  18. face — to confront
  19. rule — government
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. arm — a part of something

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