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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. swing — in golf
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — to play on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cap — a lid
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cap — a hat
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — music
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. game — a match

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