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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mate — a friend
  9. board — to get on
  10. perch — the fish
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tube — a container
  15. present — there
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. saw — the tool

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