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

Word bank: pass · hand · scale · leaves · root · lean · ball · safe

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hand — in cards
  3. root — of a word
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lean — thin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — help
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. root — the cause
  24. scale — in music

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