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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mate — a partner
  6. season — of the year
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — in sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — to keep secret

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