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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. race — a contest
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — the season
  14. race — humankind
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. scale — in music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rest — a break
  24. fork — in a road

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