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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. season — in sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rock — music
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. file — a line of people
  10. last — to go on
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a tool
  13. last — final
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — finally
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. file — a document
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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