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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stand — to bear
  8. last — final
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lean — thin
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. last — finally
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a round shape

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