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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. board — to get on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — after costs
  16. capital — money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. capital — a city
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. board — a committee
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. board — a flat piece

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