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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — crushed
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ground — the earth
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — thin
  24. ground — a position

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