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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. club — for dancing
  6. scale — in music
  7. file — a document
  8. club — for golf
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. file — a line of people
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a tool
  17. perch — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. board — a committee
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — to get on
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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