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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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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: rest · arm · cap · last · wave · jam · leaves · snap

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. snap — to click
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cap — of ice
  15. last — finally
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rest — a break
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cap — a hat

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