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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chip — for betting
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — a gift
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — a break

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