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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — a gift
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — a break
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ground — a position
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — the time now
  19. key — in music
  20. present — there
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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