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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. key — in music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. clip — to cut
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. clip — a video
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. clip — for paper
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. key — for a lock
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mate — a friend
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — a partner
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cap — a lid
  24. board — a committee

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