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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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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kid — child
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. snap — to click
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — to tease
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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