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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — for catching
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ball — a great time
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — after costs
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — in sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. firm — decided
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ball — a dance
  21. row — a line
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — clever
  24. firm — a company

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