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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. firm — a company
  3. last — to go on
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. chip — to eat
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. last — finally
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — steady
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. firm — decided
  20. last — final
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wave — with your hand

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