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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — a break
  9. band — a music group
  10. spring — of water
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lean — to bend
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spring — a coil

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