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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 120 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: staff · track · pass · wave · leaves · lash · game · net

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. track — a path
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. game — wild animals
  7. net — in sport
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — a stick
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. staff — employees
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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