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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mate — to breed
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — in music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — a committee
  19. deal — to handle
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a friend

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