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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rock — music
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — the amount
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rest — a break
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — videos and posts

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