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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. scale — in music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. scale — size or range
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. land — to come down
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rash — hasty
  14. land — ground
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. track — to keep track
  19. land — a country
  20. bore — to tire
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. track — a path
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to rest against

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