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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 116 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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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lean — thin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kid — child

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