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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. firm — decided
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kick — in football
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. firm — a company
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pop — music
  22. firm — steady
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. date — on the calendar

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