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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — a phone
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — a leader

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