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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. swing — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — to fit
  19. swing — in golf
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. spring — of water

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