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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. land — to come down
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fall — to drop
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — the season
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. land — ground
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — to be able to
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rest — a break
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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