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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. season — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — a subject
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spell — magic
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. swing — in golf
  14. spell — letters
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rest — a break
  17. swing — music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. field — farmland
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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