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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — to handle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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