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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — in sport
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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