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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. rash — a series
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rash — hasty
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. key — the most important part
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — decided
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. capital — money
  24. fall — to drop

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