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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bound — tied together
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — the season
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — low music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bass — the fish

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