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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. saw — the tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — a friend
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. current — of water
  15. wind — moving air
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. current — electric
  19. wind — moving air
  20. current — happening now
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — a hint
  24. march — the month

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