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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rest — a break
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. straw — dry grass

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