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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mate — a friend
  7. hand — help
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a ring
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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