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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rock — music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. last — to go on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. last — final
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — finally
  19. spell — magic
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rock — a stone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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