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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rash — hasty
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. content — happy
  10. season — in sport
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mate — to breed
  13. game — a match
  14. rash — a series
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mate — a friend
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mug — a face
  23. content — the amount
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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