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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mark — a trace
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mug — a cup
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — in cards
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — a face
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a line
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — a grade

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