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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. swing — music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — to play on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chest — a box
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. spell — magic
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spell — a short time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. sharp — clever

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