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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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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: leaves · staff · scale · key · sharp · wake · coach · tube

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — a trail
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tube — a container
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. scale — size or range
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — in music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tube — the underground
  24. leaves — to go away

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