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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. toast — bread
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. file — a line of people
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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