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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a match
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — a gift
  6. pop — to visit
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. pop — soda
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. present — there
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. staff — a stick

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