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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — a short time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a lid
  14. track — a path
  15. spell — magic
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — the earth
  19. spell — letters
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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