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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hand — help
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. kid — to tease
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — high quality

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