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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.

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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. staff — employees
  3. mate — a friend
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — the tool
  24. staff — a stick

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