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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — completely
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. present — there
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. craft — boats
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. present — the time now
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — an aim
  20. kid — child
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. leaves — lets stay

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