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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. march — music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — in music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — with an edge

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