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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. march — the month
  5. last — final
  6. net — after costs
  7. last — to go on
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bulb — for light
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fall — the season
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. fall — to drop
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — finally
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. march — music
  24. net — in sport

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