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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. march — music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. season — of the year
  10. march — the month
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. chest — a box
  20. current — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. current — happening now
  24. game — a match

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