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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. last — finally
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. last — to go on
  15. march — the month
  16. rock — music
  17. last — final
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — music
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — to recline
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rock — a stone

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