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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. last — finally
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. deal — to handle
  7. suit — clothes
  8. last — to go on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. last — final
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chest — a box
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. hide — to keep secret

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