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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lean — thin
  6. cold — an illness
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mouse — the animal

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