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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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fall — the season
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mate — a friend
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. suit — clothes
  12. roll — a list
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cold — not warm
  17. chest — a box
  18. cold — an illness
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. chest — of your body

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