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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. deal — to handle
  6. club — a group
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — the most important part
  10. hand — help
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. club — for golf
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rash — a series
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. leaves — of a tree

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