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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. toast — bread
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. court — of law
  9. present — a gift
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tear — from crying
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. court — for sport
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — in music
  24. tear — to rip

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