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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — hasty
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. last — to go on
  14. lean — to bend
  15. last — finally
  16. face — to point toward
  17. object — to protest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — a series
  20. last — final
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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