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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. charge — electricity
  3. present — a gift
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. present — the time now
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ground — crushed
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — the earth
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — a position
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. row — a line
  24. present — there

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