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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. craft — boats
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kid — child
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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