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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. spring — the season
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spring — of water
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spring — a coil
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pass — to spend time
  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