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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chest — of your body
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — there
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — happening now
  16. row — to paddle
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. fall — the season
  23. row — a line
  24. present — the time now

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