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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. clip — for paper
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — a video
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — to cut

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