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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fall — the season
  3. swing — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. board — to get on
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mouse — for a computer

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