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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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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 · fall · wave · game · mate · last · leaves · mark

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fall — the season
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. game — wild animals
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. last — finally
  15. mate — to breed
  16. last — final
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. game — a match
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mate — a friend

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