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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 116 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: field · pit · rush · mark · fall · wave · spell · rest

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rest — what's left
  4. spell — magic
  5. fall — the season
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rush — hurry
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. field — for sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. field — a subject
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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