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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. toast — bread
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — the sport
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wind — moving air
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. spring — of water
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. leaves — of a tree

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