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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. spell — magic
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. scale — size or range
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. snap — to click
  21. spell — letters
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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