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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. last — final
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — for a lock
  5. last — to go on
  6. key — in music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — clever
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. last — finally
  19. key — the most important part
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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