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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 120 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.

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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: pit · wind · squash · ball · rest · mate · leaves · key

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — a break
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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