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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — not warm
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. firm — decided
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bass — low music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. firm — steady
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — a company
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument

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