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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — for a lock
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — in music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. race — a contest
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — a break
  14. key — the most important part
  15. race — the arms race
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. calf — a young animal

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