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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tube — a container
  3. spring — of water
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pop — soda
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. club — for golf
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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