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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — thin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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