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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — thin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. track — a song
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. track — a path
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cell — in a prison

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