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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. craft — boats
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. season — in sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mate — a friend
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — a leader
  16. date — the fruit
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. race — the arms race
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — to breed
  22. can — to be able to
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. craft — a skill

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