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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. march — the month
  7. present — the time now
  8. can — a tin
  9. march — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wake — a trail
  15. can — to be able to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. march — the month
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rush — hurry
  24. date — the fruit

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