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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lean — to bend
  8. hand — in cards
  9. game — wild animals
  10. sharp — clever
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rule — government
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rule — a law
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hand — help
  24. leaves — lets stay

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