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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. current — happening now
  11. scale — in music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — a lid
  14. face — to point toward
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. face — to confront
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — of ice
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. current — of water

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