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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. foot — a measure
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. roll — a list

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