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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. scale — in music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. face — to point toward
  24. scale — size or range

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