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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. band — a music group
  3. cue — a hint
  4. face — to confront
  5. spell — magic
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. face — part of the head
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — letters
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cue — for pool
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wave — of the sea

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