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

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lean — thin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. court — for sport
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. present — a gift
  10. mate — a partner
  11. court — of a king
  12. date — the fruit
  13. present — there
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — to bend
  24. court — of law

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