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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · season · current · leaves · key · chest · sharp · ruler

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — of the year
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. current — of water
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. current — happening now
  10. chest — of your body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. chest — a box
  13. current — electric
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — in sport
  21. key — in music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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