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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. face — part of the head
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. degree — an amount
  19. key — in music
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — for a lock
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — temperature

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