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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — boats
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. march — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — the month

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