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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. court — of law
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — goods
  21. court — of a king
  22. stock — shares
  23. fall — the season
  24. mouse — the animal

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