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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — all right
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. file — a line of people
  24. march — music

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