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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fork — in a road
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. swing — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. hand — help
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. swing — in golf
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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