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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lean — thin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cue — for pool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — after costs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mine — for digging

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