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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tear — from crying
  4. last — finally
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lean — thin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fall — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tear — from crying
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. tear — to rip
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — to go away

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