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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chest — a box
  18. scale — in music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — certain
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bound — obliged
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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