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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. present — the time now
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. club — for golf
  14. rock — a stone
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hand — help
  20. club — a group
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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