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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — a price
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cold — an illness
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — in control
  20. rule — a law
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rule — government
  24. racket — for tennis

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