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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. suit — in cards
  6. toast — bread
  7. suit — to fit
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. file — a document
  11. wind — moving air
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. suit — clothes
  24. coach — a trainer

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