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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pass — a permit
  11. scale — size or range
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — army training
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. lean — thin
  17. roll — a list
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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