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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fall — to drop
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. present — the time now
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. present — a gift
  16. wake — a trail
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — there
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. straw — dry grass

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