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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. object — an aim
  2. hand — help
  3. club — for golf
  4. hand — in cards
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fall — the season
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. object — a thing
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — for dancing
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fall — to drop
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. object — to protest
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wave — with your hand
  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