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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. key — in music
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. march — the month
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lean — thin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. march — music
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mouse — the animal

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