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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — clothes
  13. season — in sport
  14. face — to confront
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fork — in a road
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — wild animals
  23. suit — to fit
  24. season — of the year

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