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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 water is too ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rest — a break
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. pit — a hole
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fall — the season
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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