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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rock — music
  7. season — of the year
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. season — in sport
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — to go on
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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