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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lean — thin
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pound — a weight
  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