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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. present — a gift
  2. court — of a king
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spell — letters
  5. present — the time now
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. game — wild animals
  8. present — there
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — to rob
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. court — for sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spell — magic
  18. game — a match
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. court — of law
  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