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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. land — ground
  9. drill — the tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. drill — army training
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — a country
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — to come down
  21. scale — in music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — a practice

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