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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — in music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lean — thin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. march — the month
  8. last — to go on
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — final
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — a partner
  16. last — finally
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. scale — size or range
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. mate — to breed
  22. march — music
  23. mate — a friend
  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