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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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. wave — of the sea
  4. charge — a price
  5. dip — to sink
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. charge — electricity
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — in control
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of a king

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