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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. game — a match
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — in music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cold — not warm
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. object — to protest
  24. leaves — to go away

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