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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. season — in sport
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. firm — a company
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. season — of the year
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — decided
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. craft — boats
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. firm — steady
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fall — the season
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. chest — a box
  24. mouse — 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