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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. last — to go on
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rock — a stone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. sharp — clever
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — final
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. last — finally
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. clip — a video
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. clip — for paper

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