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

Word bank: band · rule · bowl · wave · kick · leaves · march · wake

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kick — in football
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. band — a music group
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — government
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. band — a ring
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. march — music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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