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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ball — a great time
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rest — a break
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. shower — rain
  11. ball — a dance
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rest — what's left
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cap — a hat
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cap — of ice

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