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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lean — to bend
  8. club — a group
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — thin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. club — for dancing
  13. current — happening now
  14. mate — a partner
  15. club — for golf
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chair — a leader
  21. key — in music
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wave — of the sea

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