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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 124 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. key — for a lock
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — to drop
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — certain
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fork — in a road
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — to eat with

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