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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — to visit
  9. last — final
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. last — to go on
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pop — soda
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — finally
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cold — not warm
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pop — music

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