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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. scale — in music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — a trail
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a document
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. tear — from crying
  24. object — to protest

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