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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. ground — crushed

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