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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. scale — size or range
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — on a roll

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