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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wake — a trail
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fall — the season
  14. bound — certain
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mug — a face
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lean — to bend
  23. game — a match
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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