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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — in football
  12. face — to confront
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — not warm
  15. swing — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. face — to point toward
  22. staff — employees
  23. cold — an illness
  24. face — part of the head

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