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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mate — a partner
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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