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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. perch — the fish
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stock — shares
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — the season
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chest — a box
  24. fall — to drop

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