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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — a break
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — to confront
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. race — a contest
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — in music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. can — to be able to
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  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