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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. capital — money
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — to bear
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. capital — a city
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bat — the animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — in an idiom

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