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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: cell · wave · leaves · saw · drill · toast · track · dip

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cell — in biology
  9. track — to keep track
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — the tool
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. toast — bread
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cell — a phone
  24. drill — army training

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