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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mug — a face
  8. season — in sport
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — of the year
  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