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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. prune — to trim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitch — completely
  7. prune — to trim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a ring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wound — an injury
  24. band — a music group

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