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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — help
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. craft — boats
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. craft — a skill
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ball — a round shape

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