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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spring — of water
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tear — from crying
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tear — to rip
  17. chip — for betting
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lean — thin
  24. spring — the season

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