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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — after costs
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. net — in sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — what's left

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