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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fall — the season
  4. last — to go on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. hand — in cards
  11. last — final
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. last — finally
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — the cause
  24. hand — help

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