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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cold — an illness
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cold — not warm
  17. face — to confront
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. swing — to play on
  24. key — in music

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