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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — for catching
  7. tear — from crying
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — farmland
  13. game — a match
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. field — for sport

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