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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lean — thin
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. craft — boats
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. file — a document
  17. lean — to bend
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. temple — a place of worship

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