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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bass — low music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chest — a box
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. board — a committee
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kid — child
  18. board — to get on
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. board — a flat piece

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