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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. hand — help
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hand — in cards
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — animal skin

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