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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fine — high quality
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — a series
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — a video
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fine — all right
  24. fall — to drop

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