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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — in football
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. deal — to handle
  24. leaves — of a tree

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