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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. present — there
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. present — a gift
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. row — a line
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. present — the time now

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