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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cold — an illness
  20. toast — bread
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hand — help
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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