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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · leaves · mouse · hide · key · saw · court · bat

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — of law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. court — of a king
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — the most important part
  18. court — for sport
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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