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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. march — music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rest — what's left
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — a leader
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rest — a break

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