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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. key — in music
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — there
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — the time now
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. prune — to trim

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