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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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468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cell — in biology
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. drill — a practice
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. bound — certain
  23. drill — army training
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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