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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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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: leaves · wave · season · pound · bat · deal · lie · club

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. club — a group
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. deal — to handle
  12. season — of the year
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — in sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bat — in an idiom

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