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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. file — a document
  6. hand — help
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pop — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fine — high quality
  16. net — in sport
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — after costs
  20. hand — in cards
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

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