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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rash — a series
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fine — all right
  21. net — in sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spring — the season
  24. mouse — the animal

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