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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 124 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. season — in sport
  8. key — the most important part
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bound — tied together
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kick — in football
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bound — certain
  24. season — of the year

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