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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: wave · leaves · jam · fan · snap · ball · rush · rest

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rush — hurry
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — what's left

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