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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pop — soda
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fall — the season
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. key — for a lock
  21. season — in sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. temple — a place of worship

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