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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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