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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. can — a tin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. content — happy
  5. rash — hasty
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rash — a series
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wind — moving air
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bat — the animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stand — on your feet

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