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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lean — thin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. capital — a city
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lean — to bend
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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