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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a grade
  8. shower — to wash
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. last — final
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — to go on
  19. bulb — for light
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — rain
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. last — finally

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