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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — soda
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — employees
  5. pop — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — the season
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. staff — employees
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. staff — a stick
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — to go away

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