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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cold — not warm
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chair — to sit on

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