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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. file — a tool
  7. court — of law
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. hand — help
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wave — with your hand

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