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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. firm — decided
  3. hand — help
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — a company
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. firm — steady
  15. rash — a series
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mark — a grade

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