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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fork — in a road
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. fall — to drop
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fork — a garden tool

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