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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — for a lock
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ground — a position
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — crushed
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ground — the earth
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — in music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. sharp — with an edge

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