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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — ground
  8. game — wild animals
  9. land — to come down
  10. lean — to bend
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lean — thin
  20. land — a country
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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