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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mate — to breed
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. snap — to click
  14. game — a match
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bark — to shout
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — a partner

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