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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. date — the fruit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. clip — for paper
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spell — magic
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spell — letters
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. date — on the calendar

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