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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. last — finally
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. last — final
  6. present — a gift
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. last — to go on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — the time now
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — to eat
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. staff — employees
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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