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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — finally
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cold — not warm
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — army training
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — final
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cold — an illness
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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