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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. game — a match
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spell — magic
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — of the year
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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