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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 · wound · mate · pop · leaves · lie · bear · bowl

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pop — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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