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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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Word bank
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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. kid — child
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. foot — a measure
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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