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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bass — low music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. snap — to click
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bass — the fish
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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