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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chest — a box
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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