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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. present — a gift
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. present — there
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — the season
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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