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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. key — for a lock
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. race — a contest
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. key — in music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. key — the most important part
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — a grade
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. race — humankind
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — the arms race
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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