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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — to paddle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. row — a line
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. deal — to handle
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. foot — the bottom
  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