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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lean — to bend
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. scale — size or range
  7. file — a tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. scale — in music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. game — a match
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — thin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wake — a trail
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lean — to rest against

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