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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. swing — music
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bat — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. charge — in control
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — a soup base

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