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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 124 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rash — hasty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. board — to get on
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. court — for sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. date — the fruit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — of a king
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — a committee
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. court — of law
  24. rash — a series

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