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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chest — of your body
  7. season — in sport
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chest — a box
  14. root — the cause
  15. season — of the year
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — of a word
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wound — an injury

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