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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — thin

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