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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. track — a path
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. track — a song
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. march — the month
  17. track — to keep track
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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