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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rest — a break
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fan — to cool the air

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