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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. row — a line
  3. scale — in music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a dance
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pass — a permit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — ground
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ball — a great time

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