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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. shower — to wash
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. shower — rain
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. hand — in cards
  17. face — to point toward
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. face — to confront
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — the animal

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