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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 have a ________________ here.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. chest — a box
  3. season — in sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bass — low music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — of the year
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — of your body
  24. row — a line

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