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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — letters
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rest — a break
  19. club — a group
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — magic
  24. leaves — to go away

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