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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — hasty
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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