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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: spring · temple · leaves · key · bay · trunk · toast · track

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — in music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. track — a path
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — of water
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — a song
  22. toast — bread
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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