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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — after costs
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. cue — for pool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. root — the cause

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