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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. track — a song
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. staff — a stick
  8. season — of the year
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in biology
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. season — in sport
  16. cell — a phone
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. track — a path
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — in music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. staff — employees
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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