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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mark — a trace
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cold — an illness
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kick — in football

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