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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. file — a tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a line of people
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — to visit
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pop — soda
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. scale — in music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. board — a committee
  15. last — final
  16. file — a document
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — music
  21. last — finally
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. leaves — of a tree

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