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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · wake · season · hide · wave · pitcher · mug · lie

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — to breed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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