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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — the season
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rock — music
  5. pop — music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. foot — a measure
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rock — a stone
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — certain
  24. pop — soda

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