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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lean — to bend
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — of water
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — the season
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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