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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. spell — magic
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. object — a thing
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. roll — a list
  14. row — to paddle
  15. object — to protest
  16. shower — rain
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. object — an aim
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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