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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fine — all right
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fine — high quality
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bat — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fine — a penalty

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