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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 124 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — to confront
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — the most important part
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. fall — the season
  11. scale — in music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — shares
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. face — to point toward
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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