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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mate — to breed
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — the season
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a music group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. suit — clothes
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a ring
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fall — to drop

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