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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 124 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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 — with your hand
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cue — a hint
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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