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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. present — there
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — of water
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. swing — in golf
  6. current — happening now
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — the time now
  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