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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fine — high quality
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fine — all right
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. drill — army training

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