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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · pass · scale · shower · trunk · snap

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. scale — size or range
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — a permit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. shower — rain
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — in music
  15. snap — to click
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. shower — to wash
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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