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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — hasty
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. row — to paddle
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — for tennis

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