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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 120 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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a hat
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a lid
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kick — in football
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — final
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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