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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chip — for betting
  5. root — the cause
  6. last — to go on
  7. root — of a word
  8. spring — a coil
  9. last — final
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — certain
  13. last — finally
  14. chip — to eat
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spring — the season
  19. root — of a plant
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spring — of water
  23. bound — obliged
  24. foot — part of the body

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