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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. object — a thing
  3. ground — crushed
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. last — to go on
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — a position
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. land — to come down
  13. last — final
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. deal — to handle
  17. land — a country
  18. ground — the earth
  19. suit — to fit
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — to protest
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. leaves — lets stay

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