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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tube — the underground
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. band — a music group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — clothes
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — clever
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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