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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chair — a leader
  8. last — finally
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fine — high quality
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. last — final
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mate — a partner

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