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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — a container
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — low music
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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