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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. cell — in biology
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lean — thin
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lean — to bend
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — a grade
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. roll — a list
  23. cell — a phone
  24. leaves — to go away

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