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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mate — a friend
  24. branch — a division

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