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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — a match
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mug — a face
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a cup
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. straw — dry grass

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