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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. game — a match
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. key — in music
  6. march — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. key — for a lock
  15. march — the month
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tube — the underground
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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