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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. staff — a stick
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — employees
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — a series
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rash — hasty

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