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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mate — a friend
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a ring
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pit — in a race
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bulb — for light

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