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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. last — to go on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — a list
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — for golf
  11. bound — certain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — obliged
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. last — finally
  20. club — a group
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. last — final
  24. bound — tied together

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