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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. spring — the season
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spring — of water
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. board — to get on
  15. spring — a coil
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a committee
  18. vault — a safe
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. club — for dancing
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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