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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — soda
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tear — from crying
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — thin
  19. pit — a hole
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — to rip
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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