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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rest — what's left
  3. court — of law
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. court — for sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. court — of a king
  17. fall — the season
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spring — of water
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fall — to drop

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