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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. net — for catching
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. bass — low music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — thin
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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