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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — a break
  12. tube — the underground
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — a container
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  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