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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. roll — a cake
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. row — a line
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. board — a committee
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — a list
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — the month

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