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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cold — not warm
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. present — there
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. present — the time now
  22. ball — a great time
  23. row — a line
  24. present — a gift

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