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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. kid — child
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — to recline
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mine — for digging
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to click
  24. mine — belonging to me

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