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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — a gift
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. content — the amount
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. arm — part of the 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