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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. branch — a division
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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