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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. scale — in music
  12. key — in music
  13. staff — employees
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bass — low music
  19. staff — employees
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — a series
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. leaves — to go away

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