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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — humankind
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pop — music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. race — a contest
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kick — in football
  16. race — the arms race
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — there
  22. pop — to visit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — the time now

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