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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rule — government
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of law
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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