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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — low music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. kick — a thrill

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