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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. swing — music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. object — to protest
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chest — of your body
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — to fit
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. game — a match
  20. chest — a box
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. suit — in cards

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