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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. content — happy
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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