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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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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 · straw · suit · wave · game · pop · fine · snap

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fine — all right
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a match
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mate — a partner
  16. suit — clothes
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. snap — to click
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fine — a penalty

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