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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. swing — music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. swing — in golf
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. squash — to crush
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — all right

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