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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — to bend
  6. club — for golf
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. object — an aim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — thin
  20. club — a group
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. object — to protest
  24. pit — a hole

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