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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. last — final
  4. season — in sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. season — of the year
  8. fall — the season
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. last — to go on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. last — finally
  13. cue — a signal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cue — for pool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bound — obliged

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