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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. court — for sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. firm — steady
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — decided
  14. court — of a king
  15. file — a document
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. firm — a company
  19. file — a tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — of law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mate — a friend

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