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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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Word bank
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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rash — a series
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — in music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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