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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mate — a partner
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — a gift
  14. root — of a word
  15. present — there
  16. cold — not warm
  17. present — the time now
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — to go away

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