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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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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. net — for catching
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — the season
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. net — in sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — to drop

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