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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. present — the time now
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. season — in sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. present — a gift
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bank — of a river
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — of the year
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — there
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. snap — to click

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