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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. last — to go on
  7. rock — music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. last — final
  10. spring — the season
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spring — of water
  16. suit — clothes
  17. scale — size or range
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — certain
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. last — finally
  24. scale — in music

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