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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rush — hurry
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — a city
  9. rash — hasty
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. capital — money
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rash — a series
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. jam — a tight spot

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