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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — a committee
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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