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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: cell · firm · season · swing · pitch · lie · toast · wave

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. 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. swing — to play on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — bread
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cell — a phone
  7. swing — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. swing — in golf
  10. season — in sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. season — of the year
  13. firm — steady
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitch — completely
  20. firm — a company
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — to recline
  24. 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