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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. shower — to wash
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — rain
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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