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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chest — a box
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. swing — in golf

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