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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. band — a music group
  4. object — an aim
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. track — a path
  9. object — a thing
  10. track — a song
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mine — for digging
  15. band — a ring
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. object — to protest
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. band — a rubber band

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