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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — to bend
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. mate — a friend

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