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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — the fish
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. clip — a video
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. net — for catching
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — to cut
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — after costs
  16. rest — what's left
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rest — a break
  19. object — a thing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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