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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mate — a partner
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lie — to recline
  13. last — final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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