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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — a phone
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. firm — a company
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — after costs
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. firm — steady
  19. bass — low music
  20. net — in sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wave — of the sea

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