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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rash — a series
  7. key — the most important part
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a document
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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