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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. present — the time now
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — a gift
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. staff — employees
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fall — the season
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — to trim
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — there
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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