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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. firm — decided
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. firm — a company
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — in golf
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. swing — music
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. firm — steady
  24. wave — with your hand

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