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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · fall · leaves · ground · land · kid · cabinet · scale

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. scale — in music
  8. last — finally
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — ground
  11. ground — a position
  12. kid — child
  13. fall — the season
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ground — crushed
  16. land — to come down
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. ground — the earth

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