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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rule — a law
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rule — government
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. club — a group
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chest — a box
  22. net — for catching
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. plane — in geometry

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