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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cold — an illness
  7. scale — size or range
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. face — to confront
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cold — not warm
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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