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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. staff — employees
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bowl — to roll

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