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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 116 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lean — thin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a song
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — a series
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lean — to bend
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mine — for digging
  23. track — a path
  24. mine — belonging to me

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