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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. fine — high quality
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fall — the season
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitch — completely

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