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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: leaves · season · key · stick · perch · nail · tube · chair

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. season — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. key — the most important part
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — a container
  24. chair — a professorship

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