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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mate — to breed
  4. branch — a division
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — thin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bulb — of a plant

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