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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fall — the season
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — the season
  22. ball — a dance
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — of ice

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