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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. present — the time now
  3. key — in music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. present — a gift
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — a container
  9. season — of the year
  10. key — for a lock
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — a position
  15. season — in sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. present — there
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. plane — a tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ground — crushed
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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