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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — the season
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spring — the season
  6. club — a group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cap — a hat
  12. club — for golf
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — of water
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cap — a lid

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