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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. roll — a cake
  4. craft — boats
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — to sink
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a skill
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. club — a group
  16. roll — a list
  17. season — in sport
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — for golf
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. season — of the year

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