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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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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: leaves · can · key · trunk · rest · wind · fall · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fall — to drop
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — in music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — the season
  22. key — the most important part
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wind — to turn a key

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