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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mate — to breed
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. firm — steady
  7. mate — a partner
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. firm — a company
  12. row — a line
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. drill — army training
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — decided
  20. club — for dancing
  21. drill — a practice
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wave — with your hand

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