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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. object — an aim
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rock — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. last — to go on
  15. scale — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rest — a break
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. last — finally
  21. object — a thing
  22. last — final
  23. rock — to move gently
  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