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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — a series
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wake — a trail
  7. shower — rain
  8. track — a path
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. track — a song
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cell — in biology
  16. track — to keep track
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. leaves — of a tree

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