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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fine — all right
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — of water
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. race — a contest
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. spring — a coil
  18. race — humankind
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spring — the season
  21. fine — high quality
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. suit — in cards

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