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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. drill — army training
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cue — a signal
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — to eat
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. can — a tin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — the tool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. can — to be able to
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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