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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — music
  7. court — of law
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pound — a weight
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. court — of a king
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. court — for sport

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