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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: game · wave · leaves · hide · spell · lash · pop · lean

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spell — letters
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — a match
  15. lean — thin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — soda
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — to rest against

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