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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bound — certain
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chest — a box
  11. rash — hasty
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bat — the animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rash — a series
  19. fall — to drop
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — the season
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chest — of your body

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