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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. firm — decided
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — final
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. rush — to hurry

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