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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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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cold — an illness
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cold — not warm
  8. key — in music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — a container
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. season — of the year
  24. pitch — a sports field

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