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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. face — to confront
  9. club — for golf
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. scale — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. club — for dancing
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rock — music
  17. club — a group
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tube — a container
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. scale — size or range

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