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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pop — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pop — to visit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pop — soda
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mate — a friend

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