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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. file — a tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. club — a group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a document
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. club — for golf
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. cell — a phone
  24. club — for dancing

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