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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. last — final
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — after costs
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rash — a series
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. chest — a box
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. net — for catching
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. last — finally
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. staff — employees

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