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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 124 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rest — a break
  3. bass — low music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — a thing
  6. club — a group
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to click
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. perch — the fish
  19. object — to protest
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. club — for golf
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bass — the fish
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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