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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — a container
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. scale — in music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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