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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mate — a friend
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mate — a partner
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — a contest
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pop — soda
  24. fan — a supporter

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