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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lean — to bend
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — the time now
  5. band — a music group
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lean — thin
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wake — a trail
  15. present — a gift
  16. kid — child
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kid — to tease
  19. present — there
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a ring
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. perch — the fish

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