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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lean — thin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cap — of ice
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cap — a hat
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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