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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rash — a series
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hand — help
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hand — in cards
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin

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