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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. last — finally
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — in sport
  5. perch — the fish
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — a company
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — to go on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. firm — decided
  14. mate — to breed
  15. last — final
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — steady
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — of the sea
  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