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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rash — a series
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. clip — a video
  9. key — in music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. clip — for paper
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. suit — clothes
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — in cards
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. squash — to crush
  22. dip — to sink
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rash — hasty

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