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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pit — a hole

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