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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — a phone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — a trail

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