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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. season — of the year
  5. bound — certain
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bound — tied together
  23. season — in sport
  24. wind — moving air

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