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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: season · straw · pass · nail · mate · content · wave · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. content — the amount
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. season — of the year
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a partner
  9. content — happy
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mate — to breed
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pass — a permit
  17. season — in sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. straw — dry grass

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