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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fine — all right
  6. present — a gift
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — the time now
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. present — there
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wind — moving air
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fine — high quality
  23. face — to confront
  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