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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. last — final
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — decided
  9. last — to go on
  10. field — a subject
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. last — finally
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. staff — employees
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. staff — a stick
  24. field — farmland

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