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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. plane — a tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. scale — in music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. drill — a practice
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bass — the fish
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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