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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wound — an injury
  16. sharp — clever
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. snap — to click
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. swing — music

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