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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — not warm
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — letters
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cold — an illness
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. spell — magic
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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