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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fine — all right
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. net — for catching
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — after costs
  23. staff — employees
  24. mate — a partner

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