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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. can — to be able to
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lean — thin
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mug — a face
  24. mate — to breed

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