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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — of water
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — the time now
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. present — there
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — a coil
  18. perch — the fish
  19. spring — the season
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. object — an aim

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