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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. scale — in music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rash — a series
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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