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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 124 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — a coil
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — high quality
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. roll — a list
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — of water
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spring — the season

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