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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cap — a hat
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. present — the time now
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cap — a lid
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rest — a break
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bound — tied together
  16. squash — to crush
  17. present — there
  18. shower — rain
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. present — a gift

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