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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. land — a country
  4. craft — a skill
  5. land — ground
  6. file — a document
  7. key — in music
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. craft — boats
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. land — to come down
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. key — the most important part
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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