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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. scale — in music
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spell — magic
  7. toast — bread
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spell — a short time
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — size or range
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — thin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. scale — for weighing

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