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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. present — there
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — thin
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rest — a break
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wake — a trail
  24. hide — to keep secret

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