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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — in sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — of the year
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitch — completely
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. chest — of your body

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