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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wind — moving air
  7. last — final
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — a friend
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. last — to go on
  22. rock — a stone
  23. last — finally
  24. wave — with your hand

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