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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. present — the time now
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a great time
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mine — for digging

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