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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. craft — a skill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. drill — army training
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. press — a publisher
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. craft — boats
  21. press — to push
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bowl — a dish

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