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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 120 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — boats
  4. field — for sport
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. field — a subject
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — a skill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to click
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. field — farmland
  21. charge — electricity
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. charge — a price
  24. leaves — of a tree

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