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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: band · wave · craft · swing · season · mate · content · foot

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — in sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. season — of the year
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. band — a music group
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. craft — boats
  12. mate — a partner
  13. foot — a measure
  14. band — a ring
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. content — the amount
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mate — a friend
  23. content — happy
  24. craft — a handicraft

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