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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fall — the season
  9. race — a contest
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. net — in sport
  19. season — in sport
  20. lean — to bend
  21. race — humankind
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — to handle
  24. season — of the year

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