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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. season — in sport
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. file — a tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — music
  11. file — a document
  12. wake — a trail
  13. march — the month
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. march — the month
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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