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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitch — completely
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. sharp — clever
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lean — to rest against

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