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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. present — there
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. row — to paddle
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pitch — completely
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mate — to breed
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mate — a friend
  19. shower — rain
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — animal skin

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