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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to bend
  5. swing — music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — thin
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kid — child
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — the fish

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