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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spring — of water
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cap — a lid
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — a group
  21. can — a tin
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. club — for golf

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