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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cap — a hat
  3. squash — to crush
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cap — a lid
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — certain
  9. snap — to click
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bound — tied together
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — in a road
  14. last — final
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bound — obliged
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. last — finally
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fork — to eat with

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