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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. game — a match
  4. track — a song
  5. rash — a series
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rash — hasty
  12. charge — in control
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rush — hurry
  15. charge — a price
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a path
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — electricity

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