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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fall — the season
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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