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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fall — the season
  7. swing — to play on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — size or range
  24. suit — in cards

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