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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spell — letters
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — of the year
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lean — to bend
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. season — in sport
  21. lean — thin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. sharp — with an edge

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