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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rash — a series
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. row — a line
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cue — for pool
  24. swing — in golf

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