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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a friend
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — the season
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mate — to breed
  20. object — an aim
  21. spring — of water
  22. object — a thing
  23. mug — a face
  24. racket — for tennis

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