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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.

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: bat · leaves · rest · rush · wound · wave · rock · deal

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. leaves — lets stay

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