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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — in sport
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. club — a group
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. tube — a container
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. season — of the year

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