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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bark — to shout
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. track — a path
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a song
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. leaves — to go away

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