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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. march — music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. cue — for pool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cue — a signal

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