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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tube — a container
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. roll — a list
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. roll — a cake
  19. tube — the underground
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — to bend
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. leaves — lets stay

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