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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. saw — the tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spell — magic
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. squash — to crush
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. spell — letters
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — a short time

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