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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lean — thin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. season — of the year
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. season — in sport
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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