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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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Word bank
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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — letters
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. rest — a break
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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