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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ground — crushed
  5. staff — employees
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — a stone
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spell — letters
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spell — magic
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bore — to tire

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