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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — a measure
  6. craft — a skill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — to come down
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. craft — boats
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. suit — in cards
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fall — the season
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. land — ground
  24. fall — to drop

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