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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spring — the season
  17. cap — of ice
  18. staff — a stick
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — to handle

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