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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pit — in a race
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. kid — child
  9. clip — a video
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fall — the season
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fall — to drop
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — to cut
  16. key — for a lock
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pit — a hole
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — in music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. key — the most important part

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