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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bass — low music
  5. swing — music
  6. stem — to come from
  7. court — for sport
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — a coil
  10. swing — in golf
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. court — of a king
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spring — of water
  17. suit — in cards
  18. court — of law
  19. suit — clothes
  20. swing — to play on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spring — the season

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