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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rash — a series
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. face — to confront
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rash — hasty
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. net — after costs
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bass — the fish
  19. season — of the year
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pit — in a race

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