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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. season — of the year
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a document
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. season — in sport
  22. file — a tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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