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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bore — to drill
  18. charge — in control
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. safe — out of danger

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