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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — a gift
  7. rest — a break
  8. present — the time now
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — there
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. leaves — lets stay

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