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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kid — child
  5. season — in sport
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — to tease
  8. march — the month
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mate — a friend
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. march — music
  24. season — of the year

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