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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stand — to bear
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. land — to come down
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — to tire
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. land — a country
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stand — for spectators

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