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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — letters
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spring — of water
  14. spell — magic
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — the season
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mate — to breed

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