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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. key — for a lock
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mate — a friend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. key — in music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — boats
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kid — child
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. leaves — of a tree

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