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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — in music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — thin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. season — in sport
  10. pass — a permit
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — of the year
  24. shower — rain

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