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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hand — help
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. scale — in music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. kick — in football
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kick — a thrill

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