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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — to sink
  10. firm — decided
  11. kid — to tease
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fall — the season
  17. scale — in music
  18. firm — steady
  19. scale — size or range
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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