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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — a contest
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bass — low music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fine — all right
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mate — to breed
  20. race — humankind
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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