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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kick — in football
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — completely
  15. net — after costs
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. net — for catching
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — a horse colour

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