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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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — clothes
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — to fit
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. scale — size or range
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. file — a document
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rest — a break
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cap — of ice

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