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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spring — of water
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fine — all right
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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