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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rash — a series
  6. field — for sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. field — a subject
  16. chair — a leader
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rash — hasty
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rock — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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