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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. row — a line
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. spring — the season
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cell — a phone
  11. key — in music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — a trace
  17. key — the most important part
  18. race — a contest
  19. spring — of water
  20. mark — a grade
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pass — a permit
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a quarrel

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