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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: last · racket · hide · key · staff · saw · leaves · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. staff — a stick
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. key — the most important part
  5. last — final
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — to go on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — in music
  18. last — finally
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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