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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. club — for dancing
  8. present — a gift
  9. lean — thin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — the time now
  17. cap — a lid
  18. club — for golf
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wake — a trail
  22. club — a group
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wave — with your hand

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