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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. last — finally
  13. track — a path
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. last — final
  17. tube — a container
  18. drill — army training
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — a practice

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