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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — a trail
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. scale — in music
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. band — a ring
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. band — a music group
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — a grade
  23. swing — music
  24. band — a rubber band

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