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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — a series
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. game — wild animals
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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