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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spell — letters
  7. scale — size or range
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. perch — the fish
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a ring
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fall — the season
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spell — a short time
  21. scale — in music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. racket — a loud noise

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