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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · cell · wave · stand · chest · mate

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mate — a friend
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand

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