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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: spell · stick · key · leaves · bay · track · fan · tube

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spell — letters
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — a song
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a path
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spell — magic
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — the underground
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — in a tire

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