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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 116 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: court · mark · leaves · pound · hand · wave · wound · bulb

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pound — a weight
  3. court — for sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. court — of law
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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