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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: fine · lie · rash · land · season · wave · chip · leaves

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chip — to eat
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — a country
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. season — in sport
  23. land — ground
  24. fine — all right

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