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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — farmland
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. field — a subject
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — for pool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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