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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — a short time
  8. object — an aim
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mug — a face
  11. object — a thing
  12. content — happy
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. object — to protest
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. last — to go on
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — a cup

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