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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ball — a great time
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. race — a contest
  14. kid — to tease
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — in music
  24. leaves — of a tree

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