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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. last — to go on
  3. wake — a trail
  4. swing — in golf
  5. last — final
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. suit — to fit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mate — a friend
  11. swing — music
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. row — to paddle
  19. last — finally
  20. mate — a partner
  21. swing — to play on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mate — to breed
  24. row — a quarrel

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