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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ball — a dance
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stand — for spectators

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