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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. present — there
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. present — the time now
  13. mark — a trace
  14. present — a gift
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. file — a document

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