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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · wave · spring · mine · leaves · shower · bass · roll

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. mine — for digging
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. can — to be able to
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. roll — a cake

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