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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lean — thin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — certain
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pop — soda
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. bound — tied together
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — finally

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