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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. net — after costs
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — for catching
  9. fall — to drop
  10. staff — employees
  11. net — in sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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