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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. court — of a king
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rash — hasty
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. present — a gift
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — a series
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. snap — to click

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