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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fork — in a road
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pop — soda
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to bend
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. key — in music

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