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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — in sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — of the year
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — a break
  9. last — final
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rash — a series
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pop — music
  16. last — finally
  17. firm — a company
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pop — to visit
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rest — what's left

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