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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. net — after costs
  9. ball — a dance
  10. net — for catching
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ground — a position
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — all right
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. net — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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