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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. field — farmland
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. field — a subject
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. field — for sport
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — for a lock
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — a division
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. tube — the underground

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