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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pop — soda
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rule — a law
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chest — a box
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rule — government
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — to play on

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