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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — a lid
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bound — certain
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. can — a tin
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. craft — boats
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cap — of ice
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — a permit
  24. craft — a skill

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