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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. suit — to fit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spring — of water
  8. suit — clothes
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — to push
  15. mine — for digging
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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