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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · cabinet · season · field · wind · last · can · mate

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — for sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mate — a friend
  10. last — finally
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — farmland
  19. last — to go on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. last — final
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — of the year
  24. cabinet — ministers

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