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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. face — part of the head
  6. key — in music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rest — a break
  14. face — to confront
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. face — to point toward
  17. key — the most important part
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mug — a face
  24. rest — what's left

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