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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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 — of a tree
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. club — for dancing
  4. craft — a skill
  5. club — a group
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. march — the month
  11. bound — certain
  12. craft — boats
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for golf
  15. march — music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. snap — to click
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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