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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 120 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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ground — a position
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bound — tied together
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bound — certain
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bound — obliged
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — a young animal

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