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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. field — a subject
  6. lean — thin
  7. drill — army training
  8. lean — to bend
  9. field — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. key — the most important part
  12. field — farmland
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hide — to keep secret

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