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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. band — a music group
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. squash — the sport
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. band — a ring
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stand — to bear
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. court — of law
  24. squash — to crush

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