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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chest — of your body
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mug — a face
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mug — to rob

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