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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: tube · lean · temple · key · tear · ground · track · leaves

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tube — the underground
  4. key — the most important part
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ground — the earth
  11. lean — to bend
  12. key — in music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. key — for a lock
  19. track — a path
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — to rip
  22. track — a song
  23. tube — a container
  24. temple — a place of worship

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