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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rest — a break
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rule — a law
  20. bass — low music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. vault — a safe
  24. snap — to click

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