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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pit — a hole
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pit — in a race
  8. squash — the sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. drill — army training
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. clip — to cut
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pass — a permit
  24. squash — to crush

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