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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. suit — clothes
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. suit — in cards
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. band — a ring
  12. present — the time now
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pit — a hole
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — in a race

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