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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — a song
  7. net — in sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. mate — a partner

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