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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 116 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kid — child
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. game — a match
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mate — to breed
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. kid — to tease
  24. game — a kind of play

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