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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. spring — a coil
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spring — the season
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — of water
  15. capital — a city
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — a match
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mark — a trace
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. capital — money
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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