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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — for sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. court — of a king
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. court — of law
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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