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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bank — of a river
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cap — a hat
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bass — the fish
  16. scale — in music
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bass — low music
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — a signal

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