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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rest — a break
  19. track — a path
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. fine — all right
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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