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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — of the year
  21. key — in music
  22. season — in sport
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wind — moving air

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