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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bound — obliged
  3. club — a group
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bound — tied together
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — for golf
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wave — of the sea

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