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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stock — shares
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. season — in sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stock — goods
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. season — of the year
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lean — thin
  24. key — for a lock

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