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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a line
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. lean — to bend
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rule — government
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rule — a law
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rule — to rule out

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