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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hand — help
  3. mug — to rob
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. roll — a list
  12. foot — a measure
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. roll — a cake
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hand — in cards

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