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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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 — of the sea
  2. shower — to wash
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. shower — rain
  12. toast — bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. spell — a short time
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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