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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cell — a phone
  5. spring — the season
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — in biology
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — a coil
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — letters
  17. tube — a container
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — magic
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — of water
  24. wave — of the sea

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