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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bound — tied together
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. club — a group
  9. key — in music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bound — certain
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — the animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bear — the animal
  22. club — for golf
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — for a lock

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