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

Word bank: stick · staff · bat · race · wave · fall

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — to drop

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