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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spring — the season
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. row — a line
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — to protest
  10. spring — of water
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mate — a friend
  13. net — after costs
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — a tool
  16. object — a thing
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — in sport
  20. object — an aim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fall — the season
  24. mate — a partner

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