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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — for catching
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — after costs
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mug — a cup
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. drill — army training
  20. net — in sport
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mug — a face

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