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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bound — certain
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mate — a partner

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