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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: field · cell · leaves · game · spell · suit · wave · tube

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. field — a subject
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spell — magic
  5. cell — a phone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — clothes
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. suit — to fit
  11. game — a match
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. spell — a short time
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tube — in a tire

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