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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. game — a match
  8. rock — music
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rest — what's left
  15. scale — size or range
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rest — what's left

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