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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rash — hasty
  7. snap — to click
  8. kick — in football
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — boats
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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