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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. snap — to click
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. club — for golf
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chest — a box
  10. sharp — clever
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. club — a group
  18. board — to get on
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. club — for dancing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. board — a committee

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