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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. kick — in football
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a signal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. present — a gift
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. present — there
  14. cue — a hint
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — the time now
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fine — high quality
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cue — for pool
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. can — a tin
  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