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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rest — a break
  5. club — a group
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mate — a friend
  10. club — for golf
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rest — what's left
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fork — in a road
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — of the sea

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