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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: leaves · wave · suit · march · saw · key · cell · rush

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — the most important part
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cell — in biology
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — the month
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rush — a thrill

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