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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bat — the animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fine — all right
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bass — low music
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. foot — 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