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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bound — tied together
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. arm — part of the body

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