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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — the cause
  7. board — a committee
  8. fine — all right
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chest — a box
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. root — of a word
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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