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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: wave · pit · object · file · hand · leaves · present · chest

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pit — in a race
  4. object — an aim
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. present — there
  7. file — a document
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. file — a tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — a thing
  16. pit — a hole
  17. file — a line of people
  18. object — to protest
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. leaves — to go away

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