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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
468
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: last · rock · leaves · foot · spell · dip · wave · pit

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pit — in a race
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. last — finally
  14. spell — letters
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — a short time
  18. foot — a measure
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. last — final
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. dip — a sauce

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