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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spell — a short time
  7. march — the month
  8. spell — letters
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fork — in a road
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. spell — magic

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