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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. season — of the year
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. board — to get on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. board — a committee
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. season — in sport
  24. game — a match

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