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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. file — a document
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a line of people
  11. race — a contest
  12. drill — army training
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. file — a tool
  22. race — humankind
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. drill — the tool

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