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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a great time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — in music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. object — a thing
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. object — to protest
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. scale — size or range
  24. face — to confront

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