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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. shower — to wash
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mate — a partner
  9. firm — decided
  10. spell — magic
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — letters
  18. cue — for pool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. firm — a company

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