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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. present — there
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mug — a face
  9. net — after costs
  10. swing — music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — for catching
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ground — a position
  19. swing — to play on
  20. net — in sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wave — of the sea
  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