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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a document
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. squash — the sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. key — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bulb — for light

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