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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.

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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: key · leaves · hand · rule · season · mate · bear · mark

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. key — the most important part
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — in music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. rule — government
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mark — a grade
  21. season — in sport
  22. hand — help
  23. mate — a partner
  24. key — for a lock

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