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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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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: lash · pitcher · present · rest · ground · mate · leaves · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rest — a break
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. present — there
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — crushed
  20. present — the time now
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ground — a position
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. leaves — to go away

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