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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. key — the most important part
  7. season — in sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bound — obliged
  15. key — in music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bound — tied together
  21. row — a line
  22. band — a music group
  23. bound — certain
  24. row — a quarrel

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