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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. content — happy
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — a partner
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wake — before a funeral

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