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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rock — music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — a stone
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. toast — bread
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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