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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — for a lock
  3. suit — clothes
  4. file — a tool
  5. track — a song
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — in music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. track — to keep track
  14. root — the cause
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — in cards
  17. drill — army training
  18. bat — the animal
  19. drill — a practice
  20. suit — to fit
  21. track — a path
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — the most important part
  24. leaves — lets stay

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