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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stand — to bear
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. dip — to sink
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — a sauce

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