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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fall — the season
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. shower — rain
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a great time
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chair — a leader
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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