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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — in music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. land — a country
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mark — a grade
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — to come down
  17. mug — a face
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — a cup

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