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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. scale — in music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rest — a break
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. file — a line of people
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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