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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wind — moving air
  3. last — to go on
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kick — in football
  9. last — final
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rest — a break
  17. last — finally
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mug — a face
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wind — to turn a key

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