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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. kick — in football
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. wake — a trail
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. firm — a company
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — a match
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. firm — decided
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. firm — steady
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stand — for spectators

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