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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 120 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. court — of a king
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — for sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fork — in a road
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — dry grass

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