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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. firm — steady
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to click
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. last — to go on
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. last — final
  14. perch — the fish
  15. present — there
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. can — a tin

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