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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — to protest
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — for digging
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. season — in sport
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cell — in biology
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — in music
  22. object — an aim
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. nail — for a hammer

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