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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. craft — boats
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — there
  19. game — a match
  20. present — the time now
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bank — of a river
  24. game — wild animals

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