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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lean — to bend
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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