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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rush — hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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