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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — happy
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — in music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kid — child
  11. board — a committee
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spell — a short time
  15. board — to get on
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spell — letters
  18. kid — to tease
  19. key — the most important part
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. content — the amount
  23. key — for a lock
  24. squash — to crush

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