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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mark — a trace
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. key — in music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cell — a phone
  12. track — a path
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. track — a song

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