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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — after costs
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. object — an aim
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — to protest
  10. net — for catching
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rash — a series
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — in sport
  23. cell — in biology
  24. object — a thing

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