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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. land — a country
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. land — ground
  14. chest — a box
  15. staff — a stick
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. staff — employees
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. land — to come down
  24. staff — employees

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