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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pop — music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — in music
  9. pop — soda
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — to be able to
  18. key — the most important part
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pop — to visit
  24. can — a tin

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