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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. file — a document
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rest — a break
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lean — thin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. kid — child
  20. scale — in music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a tool
  24. lean — to bend

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