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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. land — to come down
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — thin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bass — the fish
  13. land — a country
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a great time
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bass — low music
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. land — ground

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