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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — music
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — to grow
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — in music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. leaves — of a tree

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